Sorry, y'all, but we did have to cut out the music here on RU-vid. You can watch the full video either on X or on the Vimeo link in the description. But to all of you who joined us here on RU-vid, thank you! It's honestly so helpful for you to watch this on here anyway :)
I am so confused. I have watched literally dozens of other reactors watch this very same video, with the typical pauses for reaction. This is the first one I have seen on your channel that you had to cut out the actual segments watching the video. What is that about?
Dang that sucks! I also seen many reactions on this song. There are two reaction people that say at the beginning they listen through the whole song and talks after!! Wilburn I think is one?! 🕊️☮️
Lol your both kinda right....he was hiding out in LA avoiding his record label because he had a better offer from another label. He worked another name while there as a piano player in an Italian restaurant's bar. It's a fascinating story to hear.
Billy Joel had recorded his debut album prior to the job at the piano bar, but he had signed a bad record deal and so he basically went off grid so as to wait out the contract. He played there under the name Bill Martin, with Martin being his middle name and at the end of the actual video if they had let it roll on a little longer, it shows a poster of him with his name as Bill Martin playing there. So he played piano in a bar with his wife waitressing as mentioned, just to make ends meet. And just for good measure, getting back to the debut album, the master tapes were recorded at the wrong speed and so Billy's voice sounded higher like Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Billy Joel's range was remarkable...he wrote a song dedicated to the Righteous Brothers where he covered both of them. When he played it live a band-member supplied the high harmony, since he couldn't do them both at once😁. 'Until the Night'
It's a song about broken dreams, and dreams never realized. Or trying to get somewhere, and going nowhere. Lonely people. They go to the bar to forget their troubles, and the piano man makes them feel better, for a few hours on a Saturday night. But the piano player is one of them, too. He's the same as they are. He should be doing better, but he's not. They all recognize it. That's why they ask "Man, what are you doin' here?" What a great old song 👍🙂
"The piano sounds like a carnival." But the bar is actually a sad place full of people "sharing a drink they call loneliness" because it is "better than drinking alone." Masterpiece!
This song is an anthem to the piano man, men who play music and are essentially ignored by the folks in the bar, until it's time for them to request a song. He's observant, and sees so many patrons come and go and learns a lot about "the human condition" as all this plays out every night. I was in the Navy, and whenever the part about Davy being in the Navy for life came along, we would all sing at the top of our voices because it's how we felt. As far as Billy Joel goes - icon. His main gift is storytelling. The music is secondary, IMHO. He is an extremely talented pianist, whose parents had him study classical music from the age of 4 and wanted him to play classical music, but he went another direction, with much success
You can tell that the female reactor really 'gets' the song and the emotions of the lyrics. Wise woman. Well done! Thanks for the reaction. Keep smiling 👍 🙂
Movin’ Out Only The Good Die Young She’s Always A Woman Just The Way You Are We Didn’t Start The Fire Honesty Say Goodbye to Hollywood Still Rock& Roll New York State of Mind You May Be Right My Life She’s Got A Way Big Shot Plus so many more that I can’t think of right now. Billy Joel is a BEAST!
PLEASE PLEASE react to Billy Joel singing "New York State of Mind" live on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Mind-blowing. Easily one of the BEST singer/songwriters. A rabbit hole worth diving into. Thanks for the reaction!
Wow, thanks. I'll have to check out that particular OGWS video. One of my favorite videos is a 'Whistle Stop' session with Humble Pie and the Blackberrys. The vocal interplay between Steve Marriott and the Blackberrys is off the chart, as is the obvious joy of performing. The song is " Black Coffee ".
A week ago he released his first new song in 17 years. “Turn the Lights Back On”. Billy Joel is top tier. Phenomenal talent. True musician and poet. “Piano Man” describes people he knew from his time working at a popular Los Angeles bar. “John at the bar” was probably one of the many hopefuls who live in the LA area, trying to balance the practical need to work for a living with the ongoing struggle to find success as an actor.
It's called "growing up". . .The older you get the more songs with lyrics like this will begin to ring true to you. And that's because the longer you live the more "perspective" you have on life. You see how things play out in people's lives in a variety of ways that you can now appreciate and understand better. This song is brilliant!
Billy Joel is an amazing artist, we didn’t start the fire was his “genius moment” that song is insane…it’s about all the important people, places and events of the first 40yrs of his life
I absolutely love We Didn't Start the Fire! It might be my favorite Billy Joel song. I had an amazing social studies teacher in year 8 that had us research all the references. It was such a fun way to learn 20th century events, and I know every word to this day. Sebs, you definitely need to check that one out!
@@chupacabra-smith I love it as well, such a great idea….check out Fall Out Boys version, same concept but newer people, places and events 😉 please come back and let me know what ya think
Yes, you must do 'We Didn't Start the Fire', it's amazing and so is the video. In my opinion, Billy Joel hasn't ever released a bad song. He's an amazingly talented guy.
This is a lot deeper than you're going with it, Sebs. It is a masterpiece. It speaks of shattered dreams, sadness, and people just trying to get by. Billy Joel is an amazing poet and music maker
Billy Joel singer-songwriter Genius River of Dreams I Didn't Start the Fire My Life Scenes From An Italian Restaurant and loads of others married to Christine Brinkley for a short while, and nice to see you lovely couple again sparking off each other
I loved this song as a kid. And I love it even more as an adult -- when you realize that its about unrealized dreams. And the power of music to lift us up. Bittersweet and beautiful.
My wife and I saw Billy Joel on tour a few months back. The man still plays and sings as well as on his decades-old albums. Such an entertainer. One of the greatest singer/songwriter/instrumentalists of all time. So many hits that night, I sang every single song with Billy, along with about a thousand others at the concert.
I’ve known Billy Joel for 30 years and he is no joke, he can write like a poet but more than that he can write real life, he sings and it comes to life. and he can play any style, you pick the decade and watch and listen while he takes you back to those days, i love me some Billy Joel, truly a rock God
Billy is called the Piano Man. He’s even received a Kennedy Center Honors. He’s got a huge great catalog. You need to take a deep dive into his catalog. “I didn’t start the fire” “Scenes from an Italian restaurant “ “Big Shot” “tell her about it” “uptown girl” and many more
As a musician since the 70's, I've played many dives around the country. And Billy Joel nails it. Every one of the people and things he sings about are just like he describes. The accuracy of the whole scene is uncanny. His writing is just some of the very best ever!!
After the Beatles, Billy Joel, is my favorite musical act of all time…incredible songwriter/singer. Have seen him 4 times in concert! Deep catalogue of great songs!!!
She’s right, you need to check out more Billy Joel. He’s definitely one of the true story_tellers of our time. I noticed you mentioned The Keys in Salt Lake. I lived near there for 6 years and used to go to the Keys about once or twice a month. AWESOME place and definitely my favorite in SLC. It’s a great time. For sure go check it out.
The background of this song is that in the 1970s he was under a contract with six months to go on it which the entity that held it would not release him from. So what he did to make some income was play in a club for the duration. That's the origin of that "What are you doing here?" line. The song "She's Always A Woman To Me" is not just a musical companion piece and a good flip side but another part of the same story. The woman of whom he speaks was his wife, who became the person who negotiated his contracts thereafter. He was speaking of her capacities as a business negotiator. Who would have guessed? Reply
Makes me miss Cheers and Friends. I had a Co-Worker as a Bus Depot Ticket Agent working the day shift and at night he was a piano man at a downtown bar. He was classically trained and was just "waiting for his turn at Carnegie Hall". Which he was actually good enough to do! What he was doing in the middle of Montana I do not know. He was an existentialist and he believed in self healing and levitation. Knew the Bible inside and out, but not a Christian. One day just before I went off to school I could see he was clearly down and shaken - he was having severe pain in his hands and forearms. I was witnessing his fall from all his self beliefs and dreams. It was heartbreaking. There are people in your life like this song that you wonder if they ever found true happiness... If you ran across them 20-30-40 years later, what would they say?
Billy Joel is an amazing talent! He’s a great pianist and an incredible songwriter. His song library is full of wonderful hits! You should definitely take a deeper dip into his music, I guarantee that you WILL NOT be disappointed. Big Shot, You May Be Right, The Stranger, We Didn’t Start The Fire, An Innocent Man are all great and there are so many more.
Yes, we don’t have many true poets and true musicians anymore. I am grateful to have lived through the music of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. This is by far my favorite song of Billy Joel’s, but check out the lyrics to We Didn’t Start the Fire. Brilliant.
I always appreciated the way the song slows down at the end... sounding like a carousel slowing down to a stop... like the lyric... The piano sounds like a carnival.....
Good afternoon y'all. I hope you're well. New York State of mind live from the old grey whistle is AMAZING. I personally think it's his best performance.
I remember singing this song in 1979. I was a Senior in H. S. Our chorus volunteered to do this and I remember them handing out rafle tickets at the door. I sang my song, but there was a party going on by the Mississippi River bluffs. So I sang and then went to the party. It was volunteeer.... well I won - only thing I have ever won - the raffle. They kept calling out my name & number on the raffle ticket - and this was all on a local TV network. My chorus teacher said "I don't know where she is but she is in big trouble" He had given me all A's but gave me an F. Ha Ha
You will never hear this girl say, "Nahhh. I don't feel like listening to Billy Joel". I never tire of him. Such a phonomonal singer, songwriter and musician.
No matter how many songs he’s written, at every concert, people shout out “Piano Man“! to him. He’s a genius musician and a poetic songwriter. Take a deep dive into his discography.
My wife and I went to a piano bar to catch up with some friends. This guy on the piano was being ignored for most of the night. People were loudly talking over his playing and were very rude. Then all of a sudden he started to play piano man and the room went silent. The crowd started singing along and by the end of the song the whole room was cheering and clapping it was amazing.
Billy Joel has a way with words like few others. I was lucky enough back in high school to have gotten to see him live in concert. This was the late '90's. Man what a show. During one of his songs while he was playing at one of the many keyboard on the stage doing a solo, the thing just died. Billy gave it a few seconds then ran down to his Grand Piano and finished the solo and the rest of the song there. Technical issues during a show can happen its how you react to them that determin how the show is remembered. Of the few concerts that I have seen they all shine for different reasons. Billy Joel stands out because of the way he handled things when things went off script.
Really enjoy your heartfelt and insightful comments re the music of my generation (born 1955, yes, I’m a boomer). I see that you’re exploring Billy Joel’s music - perhaps his most recent composition - Turn the Lights Back On - written after a 30 year song writing hiatus will interest you. It’s about a long term marriage and I truly believe that virtually every married woman in the world would at some point in her marriage feel unseen. Here’s Billy’s answer to that dilemma. Thank you again!!!
He sings what he knows with a lot of true story songs that didn’t make it to the radio. “Leningrad” “Downeaster Alexa” “Goodnight Saigon” “Goodnight,my Angel”.
I've seen Billy in concert several times. Most awesome thing is when he plays Piano Man towards the end of the night and the entire arena sings the last chorus TO him - every time. The musicians stop playing, Billy turns towards the crowd, and just they let the audience sing.
The lyrics are just soo good. "....when I wore a younger man's clothes" "...as the smile ran away from his face" "They're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone" Amazing writing! Amazing artist!
Please add Summer Highland Falls and Goodnight Saigon to your Billy Joel playlist. One will put you in awe with respect to his piano playing and the other will tug at your heartstrings as he interprets the experience of Vietnam. Both songs are masterpieces
He was definitely 24 when he released this so he had to be no older than that when he wrote it, perhaps even younger. He wrote a lot of totally amazing music when he was in his early 20’s. People often don’t mention the accordion along with the harmonica in this song. Billy is an American treasure. The man is a true poet and this song is written in Limerick style. Enjoy the Billy Joel rabbit hole 🌺✌️
Billy Joel has a brilliantly poetic style of articulating the image and feeling he’s trying to share. Paired with his beautifully musical composition is always striking. Adding the fact that all his songs come from personal experiences is what makes Billy Joel such an icon. He’s a rare gem!
Billy Joel is amazing. I've seen him in concert six times, and each time it's new and fantastic. New York state of Mind, Scenes from an Italian restaurant (if you like story songs, this is 3-in-1), Vienna, just so many. His first album came out in 1971. He just released a new song this month. STILL making music after 52 years!
Go down this road Seb. He will not disappoint you. I have been a Billy Joel fan since his “Glass Houses” album. If you think he his poetic, check out, “We didn’t start the fire “. It is about all the headlines from his birth to the time he wrote the song. This one is up your alley. Listen to the lyrics. Love your channel. THIS MAN WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!
I wish he still had the voice he had then, but after 50 years and all the smoking and alcohol, it happens. I saw him twice in concert with Elton John each taking turns and sometimes playing together. It was fantastic! He was a bit of a bad boy at times, but I think that is in all of us...... Thanks for the review!
In the video "Uptown Girl", the model was actually Billy Joel's wife, Christy Brinkley. She was a super-model and unfortunately that marriage didn't last, but they do have a daughter together.
Whatever you do from Billy Joel, check it out the reaction live from Shea stadium He is obviously a New Yorker and he was the one who got to close the stadium. He gave the last concert ever there.
I was 12 when this hit the radio playlist. Fell in musical LOVE!!! Within a few short weeks, just hearing it on the radio, I learned all the lines and sang along. "The Piano Man" is probably the 2nd most sung along-with song in bars, behind "American Pie." Billy Joel has a library that expands decades! He has gone on tour with Elton John, the "other" piano man!
Billy Joel has an incredible list of songs to react to. Some are exceptionally well-known like 'New York State of Mind' or 'We Didn't Start the Fire'. He's got a couple that are very autobiographical, but still bouncy and fun like 'The Entertainer' which (funnely enough) references 'Piano Man'. And if you feel like taking a dive into some of his more serious stuff? 'Good Night, Saigon' is exceptional.
Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" shows some amazing and sophisticated piano, and I think you'd love it-especially the live version. Thanks for this review.
When Billy discovered his first record contract was unfavorable to him, he left NY and went to the East Coast. He played lounges and piano bars under made-up names. This songs is one of many real life Joel songs. Discover his Genius!!
The first cassettes I bought with my own money were Billy Joel's Glass Houses and Styx's Paradise Theater. My family knows how much I love Billy. Actually, I was in an induced coma several years ago and my sister played a little Billy Joel for me. The nurse came in and made her turn it of because I was responding to the music and they wanted me quiet. He can bring me out of a freaking coma! That's magic.
As you age, the meaning of the words take a different depth as you gain new perspectives. I used to HATE the song What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner because love is the core of it, is it not? But after my first husband cheated on me and my second husband abused me, I began to question love. I loved these men, both times I thought “How can I leave, I love him” but that’s not love, love doesn’t hurt you intentionally. Now I relate to her song. I recently saw a movie based on her life and it made me weep because she had it far worse than I did. But I digress, I love how you and your wife are digging into the songs. It doesn’t matter if you heard it 0 times or a hundred times if you never understood it, it’s good to dig deeper into it. Keep going! ❤
The first time I heard this I had just pulled into a parking space and just sat there with the engine running until it was over. What a great poet and musician!
Thank you. I love seeing someone who appreciates lyrics and style. I have never heard one song of Billy Joel I didn’t like. Vienna is gorgeous. Stiletto. The Downeaster Alexa. Only The Good Die Young. Big Shot. It is life in song. They run from love songs to a nod to the working man
This is the thing...too many people never listen to songs...they like the beat, or the catchy chorus. Especially in the 70's...artists would often have an upbeat tempo or rock sound, but the meaning/lyrics of the song can have a total different meaning. Songs like "Alone Again, Naturally" Supertramp songs, Pink Flloyd...Bob Seger's Night Moves, The Eagles...sooooo many that if you listen to the lyrics...they are stories about life and we can all relate. I wish young people today had that type of music....at least on RU-vid they can find it is they want. I don't know how many reactions I've watched where they are shocked at how great artists they were/are and no autotune or pitch correct, just thousands of hours of performing gigs and perfecting their craft...for years before being "discovered". Nowadays, you can post a video...autotune it, mix it and if it gets lots of likes you are a "star". We live in a world where the music is created to meet popular likes instead of artists just doing what they love, creating their own sound and going out and performing....fame or no fame. Just my opinion folks...
"Piano Man" is reportedly based on a period of Billy's real life. Early in his career, he was saddled with a bad management contract. Being a New Yorker, and not willing to put up with any...thing, he decided that, instead of making his manager rich at his own expense, to instead go underground and play for tips under the name Billy Martin, until the contract expired (different sources estimate anywhere from several months, to a year+?). If you sense frustration in his voice, now you know why. There's also a recording floating around where he closes a concert with this song. The crowd sings along, and Billy gives them the chorus to sing. Then, at the end, the band just stops, and thousands strong sing the chorus to him a cappella. It's quite a moment. If you enjoy Billy's story-telling style, try reacting to "The Entertainer", off his album "Streetlight Serenade". It's cynical and funny look at life in the music biz.
Billy Joel was hiding out playing in a piano bar because he was in a contract dispute with his his record label. So the people in the bar were getting an "A" performer in a "C" place; so "Man, what are you doing here."
Hey, Man. Give your brother a call. When he answers, sing “Sing is a song you’re the piano man!” As you did in the reaction. When he laughs, tell him you really listened to the song and it brought back that childhood memory. :-)
Gotta see him live , when he plays this the 50,000 people sing and he plays . Amazing 👏 I've seen him 3 times , once with Sir Elton John on dueling pianos
I once asked on a thread about this song on one of his videos "What is a real estate novelist?" Billy actually replied and told me "he is a real estate guy and he's writing a novel" basically, no prospects. I had to hand it to him for replying to me.
Even knowing when this song was released, I couldn’t tell you when I heard it for the 1st time, whether I liked it instantly or if it grew on me, I never bought any of his albums or went to see him in concert. But his music saturated the airwaves & became part of the ether. He’s just iconic.
I saw Billy Joel at a concert in Pittsburgh in the 70’s when I was too young to drive yet 🙂 but went with a group of friends and it was one of best concerts I’ve ever seen.
Billy Joel has such a portfolio of great songs, that it's hard to pick just one. Piano Man is a top one, but also Honesty, We Didn't Start the Fire, Uptown Girl, New York State of Mind, etc., etc.. But my favorite of the music videos he did is "Keeping the Faith", all about his younger life. Christie Brinkley does a cameo, but all the words have meaning to his life.
I'm going to throw this out here... I got to see both Billy Joel and Elton John when they were in concert together... yes... so many MANY years ago. I'll briefly mention how wonderful it was to hear them sing, not only their own songs, but to sing each others songs as well. I guess my point is that these two men are outstanding examples of singer-songwriters of the generation. You don't like Elton's sexuality? You don't like how many times "Billy" has been married (to some amazingly beautiful women)? Who cares? Both men have amazing talents/gifts. The world would be a poorer place without their contributions. As an even more personal aside... while the location where I saw them play together (Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan) is now defunct... it made my hair stand on end when Billy stopped singing and playing during "Piano Man" while 80k or so people in the audience sang instead. That's when you know your song has become a cultural icon, make no mistake.
Billy Joel played the piano as a 15-year-old for one of the most iconic songs of 1960"s. "Remember (Walking in The Sand 1964). By the iconic teenage girl group "The Shangri-Las." You need to do a reaction to that song.
This song is so great. Its a philosophical pondering of your own potential vs. your own reality. Life has a way of pushing dreams aside or in different directions. It’s one of my fav songs lyrically.
One of the great freedoms of being sober is no desire to be in a bar as a sad and lonely man drinking to make the world go away and looking for love in all the wrong places. I'm not criticizing people who want to go out and have a drink, it's the alcoholics that come in using the neighborhood bar as their primary social spot. Billy Joel hit the nail on the head when he wrote this song.
I was a teen when this music you are listening to was on the radio all the time. I was a teen when Rock happened and it was a HUGE turn on. We went from Elvis to Rock. Heady days....
He has (or had) a 4 CD set where one disc is mostly about him interacting live with the audience. He does a Q/A for people trying to get into the music industry, for instance. Someone asked him about this song and his response was basically "Everything in the song... actually happened". He was getting screwed over by his record label... and he took a big FU and told them that they weren't getting anything more from him (or at least, until they made things right). So he played piano in a bar in, I think, L.A, under the name "Bill Martin". His first wife was "the waitress". He only actually did the "piano man" bar playing for about 6 months. His recollection about that time was "I GOTTA write a song about this". Yes... he got free drinks... "the job sucked... but free drinks", he actually smoked at the time, etc. I especially enjoyed his "real estate novelist" recollection. "So Paul, what do you do?" (slurs words) "I'm writing the great american novel". "But what do you do the rest of the time?" (slurs) "I'm in real estate".
Billy Joel is one of the greatest songwriters we've ever seen. I love the way the he's telling the story not of events, but the emotional story, is stunning. Also, if you want to see this level of writing and poetry from someone younger, go get familiar with Stromae. He's a Belgian artist, sings primarily in French. His most famous song is 'Papaoutai'; I would also highly suggest 'Fils de Joie' and 'Formidable' among many others that brilliantly lay out aspects of the human experience.
There's no pleading. It's just life. Like what Eugene O'Neil had wanted to convey. It is the small joyful moments one should treaure in the muck that we all must wade through. Billy helped provide those moments way back when. And is still doing so.
6th highest selling musician of all time. Look up the entertainer by billy Joel. or river of dreams. Piano man is everyman's song. Almost everyone on earth is represented in this song. Someone not content with where they are in life, or stuck somewhere when his skill should have him somewhere else and so many others.
Excellent reaction to a legend. I'm super stoked. Been a huge fan of Billy Joel since I was 13 or 14. I'm almost 50 now and the stars finally aligned for me I get to see Billy Joel in St. Louis in September. He's 1 of 3 I've wanted to see for as long as 8 can remember. More Billy Joel please.
Hi guys Billy's song New York state of mind live at old gray whistle test is one of the best live performances s I've seen it ranks up their with zeppelin for a live performance. You said you are leaning towards a blues influenced song well this is straight up blues you won't be disappointed.
I read an article a number of years ago about an elementary school chorus doing an evening of Billy Joel songs. The teacher wrote to his manager or whoever and told him what they were doing and invited Billy to attend. She got basically, that's nice, we'll see. Five minutes after the show started, Billy snuck into the auditorium, sat by himself in the back, and stayed for the whole show, making a quick exit at the end.Only those facing the audience knew he was there.
Billy Joel had a motorcycle accident in 1982 which messed up his left thumb and wrist, after it healed it was basically a hammer thumb allowing him to pound on the keyboard with ferocity.
Before he was famous, and i was about 16 i saw him play at an all-ages show in my hometown, as the keyboard player for a Long Island rock band called The Hassels. He's been working at this for a long time. And has really honed his craft.
One of my beloved songs from my childhood. It is just SO POWERFUL & RIPS the emotions out of you! (Although, being the consummate "romantic", my absolute FAVORITE Billy Joel song is "Uptown Girl"! In no small part because he actually married the model from the music video Christie Brinkley. Very romantic IMO, but sadly the marriage didn't last.) I know it wasn't "cool" to be "fan" of Billy Joel (back then/ at that age), but I didn't care what 90% of my peers thought! I LOVED his stuff!
